Look man, I’m no wrestling expert. I just call it like I see it, or at least what I interpret from what I see from a narrowly curated set of both online and offline interactions. Last year I talked about AEW matches and wrestlers I liked in HWL’s AEW 2020 Year in Review, and in 2021 AEW got better.
Among many other things: Punk and Danielson re-appeared on the scene, the Bucks and Kingston put it all together, and even before crowds re-energized the shows AEW was taking swings on gimmicks ranging from Arcade Anarchy to bloody Dr. Baker.
The AEW 75 are matches selected for helping shape, define, and/or redefine the year. They are sort of in an order and each links to a post that may cover them in more detail. Watch for detours along the way.
AEW 75: 1 – 25
2. CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston (Full Gear 11/13/21)
3. Steel Cage Match – AEW World Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. The Lucha Bros (All Out 9/5/21)
4. Unsanctioned Lights Out Match: Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker (Dynamite 3/17/21)
5. AEW World Title Eliminator – Semi Final: Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston (Rampage 10/29/21)
6. Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega (AEW 9/22/21)
7. CM Punk vs. Darby Allin w/ Sting (All Out 9/5/21)
8. AEW World Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Hangman Page (Full Gear 11/13/21)
9. Impact World Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Christian Cage (Rampage 8/13/21)
10. TNT Title: Miro [c] vs. Eddie Kingston (All Out 9/5/21)
11. TBS Championship Tournament – Round 1: Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb (Dynamite 10/27/21)
12. Bryan Danielson vs. Minoru Suzuki (Rampage Buy In 10/15/21)
13. AEW World Title Eliminator – Round 1: Bryan Danielson vs. Dustin Rhodes (Dynamite 10/23/21)
14. NWA Women’s World Title: Serena Deeb [c] vs. Riho (Double or Nothing Buy-In 5/30/21)
15. AEW World Title: Kenny Omega [c] w/ Don Callis vs. Rey Fenix (Dynamite 1/6/21)
16. Bryan Danielson, Christian Cage & Jurassic Express vs. Kenny Omega, Adam Cole & The Young Bucks (Dynamite 10/6/21)
17. AEW World Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. Jurassic Express (Dynamite 8/18/21)
18. Darby Allin vs. MJF (Full Gear 11/13/21)
19. AEW World Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. PAC & Rey Fenix (Dynamite 4/14/21)
20. Bryan Danielson vs. Nick Jackson w/ The Elite (Rampage 10/1/21)
21. Matt Sydal & Lee Moriarty vs. Lio Rush & Dante Martin (Dynamite 11/10/21)
22. AEW World Title Eliminator – Final: Bryan Danielson vs. Miro (Full Gear 11/13/21)
23. CM Punk vs. Matt Sydal (Rampage 10/15/21)
24. Hikaru Shida’s Possible 50th Victory: Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb (Dynamite 10/6/21)
25. Blood & Guts: The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana & Ortiz) vs. The Pinnacle (MJF, Wardlow, FTR & Shawn Spears) (Dynamite 5/5/21)
10 Other Matches from Bryan, Punk or Bucks
2. Bryan Danielson vs. Anthony Bowens w/ Max Caster (Rampage 11/5/21)
3. Bryan Danielson vs. John Silver w/ Dark Order (Dynamite 12/8/21)
4. Bryan Danielson vs. Aaron Solo (Dark 10/26/21)
5. CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish (Dynamite 10/27/21)
6. CM Punk vs. Daniel Garcia w/ 2point0 (Rampage 10/8/21)
7. AEW World Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. Matt & Mike Sydal (Dynamite 4/28/21)
8. AEW Tag Team Title Eliminator: The Young Bucks vs. Hollywood Blonds (Dynamite 5/19/21)
9. AEW Tag Team Title Eliminator: The Young Bucks vs. Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo (Dynamite 6/30/21)
10. Street Fight – AEW Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] w/ Brandon Cutler vs. Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo (Dynamite 7/7/21)
AEW 75: 26 – 50
27. Adam Cole & The Young Bucks vs. Christian & Jurassic Express (Rampage 9/24/21)
28. PAC vs. Andrade el Idolo w/ Chavo Guerrero (Rampage 9/10/21)
29. PAC vs. Andrade el Idolo (Rampage 10/22/21)
30. Kenny Omega vs. Alan “5” Angels (Dynamite 11/3/21)
31. TNT Title: Darby Allin [c] w/ Sting vs. Miro (Dynamite 5/12/21)
32. AEW World Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Christian Cage (All Out 9/5/21)
33. Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black (Dynamite 8/4/21)
34. AEW World Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston (Double or Nothing 5/30/21)
35. Arcade Anarchy: Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor vs. Miro & Kip Sabian (Dynamite 3/31/21)
36. Jungle Boy vs. Dax Harwood (Dynamite 1/27/21)
37. AEW World Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian (Dynamite 5/12/21)
38. AEW World Title Eliminator – Round 1: Jon Moxley vs. Dark Order’s 10 (Dynamite 10/27/21)
39. TNT Title: Darby Allin [c] vs. Jungle Boy (Dynamite 4/21/21)
40. TNT Title: Darby Allin [c] vs. Brian Cage (Dynamite 1/13/21)
41. TNT Title: Miro [c] vs. Sammy Guevara (Dynamite 9/29/21)
42. Santana & Ortiz vs. FTR w/ Tully Blanchard (Dynamite 9/1/21)
43. Dustin Rhodes vs. Malakai Black (Dynamite 9/8/21)
44. AEW World Title: Kenny Omega [c] w/ Don Callis vs. Jungle Boy w/ Jurassic Express (Dynamite 6/26/21)
45. If Jericho Loses, He Retires: Chris Jericho vs. MJF (All Out 9/5/21)
46. AEW Women’s World Title: Britt Baker [c] vs. Kris Statlander (All Out 9/5/21)
47. Homecoming Match: Jon Moxley vs. Minoru Suzuki (Dynamite 9/8/21)
48. TNT Title: Miro [c] vs. Fuego del Sol (Rampage 8/13/21)
49. Bryan Danielson vs. Rocky Romero w/ Best Friends (Dynamite 11/10/21)
50. IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. Yuji Nagata (Dynamite 5/12/21)
10 Dark Matches I Enjoyed
2. Dante Martin vs. Anthony Bowens (Dark: Elevation 8/23/21)
3. Wheeler Yuta w/ Chuck Taylor vs. Matt Hardy w/ Private Party (Dark 8/17/21)
4. Jack Evans vs. PAC (Dark 8/3/21)
5. Dante Martin vs. Lee Moriarty (Dark 8/17/21)
6. Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor & Wheeler Yuta w/ Kris Statlander vs. The Blade & The Hybrid2 w/ The Bunny (Dark: Elevation 8/23/21)
7. Matt Sydal w/ Mike Sydal vs. PAC w/ The Lucha Bros (Dark: Elevation 8/31/21)
8. Red Velvet vs. Skye Blue (Dark 9/4/21)
9. Daniel Garcia w/ 2point0 vs. Lee Moriarty (Dark: Elevation 9/13/21)
10. Joey Janela vs. Lee Moriarty (Dark 9/7/21)
AEW 75: 51 – 75
52. Shaq & Jade Cargill vs. Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet (Dynamite 3/3/21)
53. Street Fight: Sting & Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage & Ricky Starks (Revolution 3/7/21)
54. Sting & Darby Allin vs. Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page (Double or Nothing 5/30/21)
55. Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston vs. The Acclaimed (Dynamite 5/19/21)
56. Christian Cage vs. Matt Hardy (Dynamite 7/14/21)
57. Coffin Match: Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page (Dynamite 7/14/21)
58. Texas Death Match – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. Lance Archer (Dynamite 7/21/21)
59. Lights Out Match: Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer (Dynamite 9/24/21)
60. Elimination Match: Hangman Page, Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver & Alex Reynolds vs. Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows w/ Brandon Cutler (Dynamite 7/28/21)
61. Tomohiro Ishii & Orange Cassidy w/ Rocky Romero and Best Friends vs. The Butcher & The Blade w/ The Bunny and Matt Hardy (Dynamite 11/17/21)
62. Atlanta Street Fight: Cody Rhodes vs. Andrade el Idolo (Dynamite 12/1/21)
63. Hangman Page vs. Brian Cage (Double or Nothing 5/30/21)
64. Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston & Darby Allin w/ Sting vs. 2point0 & Daniel Garcia (Dynamite 8/4/21)
65. Matt Sydal vs. Daniel Garcia (Dark: Elevation 8/19/21)
66. Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal (Dynamite 5/19/21)
67. AEW Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament – Final: Jurassic Express vs. The Lucha Bros (Rampage 8/27/21)
68. Matt Sydal, Mike Sydal & Dante Martin vs. Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks w/ The Elite (Dynamite 8/11/21)
69. Jon Moxley vs. Satoshi Kojima (All Out 9/5/21)
70. Riho & Ryo Mizunami vs. Emi Sakura & Mei Suruga (Dark 12/14/21)
71. AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator Tournament – Final: Nyla Rose vs. Ryo Mizunami (Dynamite 3/3/21)
72. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt vs. FTR & Tully Blanchard w/ J.J. Dillon (Dynamite 3/3/21)
73. Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia w/ 2point0 (Rampage 11/26/21)
74. No DQ Falls Count Anywhere Match: Jon Moxley & Lance Archer vs. Kenny Omega & KENTA (Dynamite 2/10/21)
75. Evil Uno vs. QT Marshall w/ The Factory (Dark: Elevation 8/31/21)
8 Other Matches You Might Like
2. Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb (Rampage 12/15/21)
3. Riho vs. Jamie Hayter w/ Britt Baker and Rebel (Dynamite 12/8/21)
4. TBS Championship Tournament – Quarterfinal: Thunder Rosa vs. Jamie Hayter (Dynamite 11/24/21)
5. Kenny Omega vs. Matt Sydal (Dynamite 3/24/21)
6. Jurassic Express vs. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish (Rampage 11/19/21)
7. 5 Labors of Jericho – No Rules: Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage (Dynamite 7/28/21)
8. Labors of Jericho – Jericho Must Win with Top Rope Move: Chris Jericho vs. Juventud Guerrera (Dynamite 8/4/21)
